Minority contractor to get larger slice of work

6/26/2007

A minority trucking contractor whose signature appeared on bid documents for a city of Toledo demolition project without his knowledge has settled up with the prime contractor, city officials said yesterday.

Wes Boykin Trucking, Excavation & Demolition of Toledo and B&B Wrecking & Excavating Inc. of Cleveland agreed Friday that Boykin would receive 45 percent of the $198,000 contract to complete the demolition of a burned factory building at 1515 Bancroft St.

The dispute exposed a complaint from minority contractors of being touted in bid documents as the selected minority subcontractor without even being contacted first.

Calvin Brown, the acting executive director of the city's affirmative action/contract compliance office, who had called for the contract to be canceled, said he would support the new agreement if company President Wes Boykin does.

B&B Wrecking aroused Mr. Boykin's ire when he learned he was identified as the minority subcontractor on B&B's bid for the 1515 Bancroft project, for 12.3 percent of the project, the minimum goal for minority subcontracts in construction contracts.

Mr. Boykin's signature even appeared on a city form identifying him as the minority subcontractor.

Mr. Boykin signed an affidavit June 8 saying that was not his signature.

Brian Baumann, president of B&B, said he didn't know how the signature got there. But he said the signature line on that form also could have been interpreted as a line for the name of the likely minority subcontractor to be written.

He has said he and Mr. Boykin have worked together before, and he expected to contract with Mr. Boykin once his bid was approved by the city.

Mr. Boykin could not be reached for comment.

"The city wanted to make sure there was going to be a contract, and I was fine with that," Mr. Baumann said.

B&B has been selected by Lucas County for a $448,700 contract to tear down seven downtown buildings and the Toledo Sports Arena to make way for a new multipurpose arena downtown.

County Commissioner Pete Gerken said the county monitored the meeting last week.

He said B&B's contract with Boykin to demolish the downtown buildings and the sports arena will be negotiated as a percentage of the total contract, rather than an hourly rate.

Contact Tom Troy at:

tomtroy@theblade.com

or 419-724-6058.